Arrest in connection with School Threat in Soda; Law Enforcement holds unrelated training at Grace High School
Lt Overlin and Sgt Call participating in training designed to increase effectiveness in responding to critical incidents in local schools.
Over the weekend, the Soda Springs Police Department notified the public about action taken to prevent a potential threat toward a local school. Due to the sensitivity of the issue and the minor status of the individual who was taken into custody, the SSPD is not releasing detailed information on the incident at present, however, as details became available in the future, we will continue to present any developments to the public.
In a sobering coincidence, the Caribou County Sheriff’s Office and Soda Springs Police Department held a scheduled training exercise at the high school in Grace on Friday as part of ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training). The two events have no direct connection except that they demonstrate the prevalence of the threat in the country as whole, including our own part of it.
April is an especially sensitive time for the issue of threats against schools, as it is often viewed within the context of the anniversary of the Columbine shooting on April 20,1999, 25 years ago. While there is no evidence that this particular incident has any specific connection to that anniversary, the 25 year mark since that shooting is a sad milestone for a country that has seen a large number of school shootings in the past two and a half decades. The events in Columbine were certainly not the first of their kind, but they were the first that brought the issue into the kind of national focus that it currently holds.
When reached for comment, Soda Springs Chief of Police Scott Shaw stated: “the Soda Springs Police Department takes these threats very seriously and will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” The announcement of the arrest was posted to the Soda Springs Police Department Facebook page, and reads in full as follows: “On Sunday the 14th of April 2024 the Soda Springs Police Department was notified of a possible school threat. The tip came from “Crime Stoppers” information center and was immediately investigated by the police department. The investigation led to the arrest of a juvenile for the crime of Making Threats of Violence Towards a School. The juvenile was transported to JDC in Pocatello by a Caribou County Sheriff’s Deputy. He will remain there pending an initial court appearance. A search warrant was obtained for the juvenile’s residence where multiple firearms were located and seized by officers. The juvenile was acting alone. There is no further threat to the public or our schools. No further information can be released at this time. Thank you!”
It is worth noting that the event was brought to law enforcement’s attention through a tip from the public. Anyone who has concerns about an individual expressing a desire to commit violence directed at themselves or others is encouraged to contact authorities with the information, or a related organization such as, in this case, Crime Stoppers.
